Blade blocks in hydraulic couplings



Nov. 14, 1950 BLADE BL M. FOSTER ocxs 1N HYDRAULIC COUPLINGS Filed Nov. 25, 1946 f Alfa/wey y:

Patented Nov. 14, 1950 BLADE BLCKS IN HYDRAULIC COUPLIGS Maurice Foster, deceased, late of Rockford, Ill.,

by Richard T. Rehwald, administrator, Rockford, Ill., assgnor toTwin'Disc Clutch Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application November 23, 1946,'seria1N0. 711,965

4 claims. (o1. 10s- 115) The invention relates to hydraulic couplings and more particularly to an arrangement thereof which enables a given size coupling to be used at several ,horsepower ratings. Y

Hydraulic couplings are employed in such a variety of installations with corresponding requirements as to horsepower that a manufacturer is faced with the task of building a large number of sizes if it is desired to provide a complete line of units. This situation is uneconornical from a manufacturing standpoint.

It is therefore the principal object of the invention to provide a hydraulic coupling which is constructed and arranged so that the capacity of any given unit may be reduced to meet any selected requirement as to horsepower less than its normal rating for size whereby a material reduc-l tion may be effected in the number of sizes offered by a manufacturer.y

A further object is to provide a coupling of the characterindicated in which capacity variation is effected by blocking as many passages in the impeller or runner as are necessary to secure the desired reduction.

' A' further object is to devise a blade block formed as a simple stamping, selected numbers of which are positioned in balanced relation in the outer ends of the impeller or runner passages to accomplish the foregoing results.

These and further objects of the invention will j be set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and the novel means by which said objects are eiectuated vwill be definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation showing a portion of atwin circuit, hydraulic coupling modified in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a blade block. Fig. 3 is a view of the channel side of the block. Fig. 4 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the numeral I designates an engine flywheel which is to be generically considered as any source of power and to which is bolted an internally toothed, driving ring II that meshes with an externally toothed, driven disk I2. The inner rim of an impeller I3 is clamped by means of studs I4 between the disk I2 and a ring I 5 located inwardly of theimpeller and the outer rim is shaped to receive one end of a spacer ring I6 whose opposite end is received within the correspondingly shaped outer rim of an impeller l1 that is positioned in facing relation to the impeller I3. A plurality of circumferentially spaced bolts I8 extending through the spacer ring I6 secure the impellers together and leakage of the working liquid, usually an appropriate oil, in this locality is prevented by packing IS-IB between the ends of the ring I6 and the adjacenty portions of the impeller rims. The inner rim of the impeller I1 is claimed between a ring 2l) located inwardly of theimpeller and an outer ring 2| by means of a plurality of studs 22. The impeller I3 is provided with a plurality of radial blades 23 and a core ring 24, thus defining a plurality of radial liquid passages. Similarly positioned and secured blades 25 are arranged around the impeller I1 in conjunction with a core ring 26 to form like liquid passages.

A runner 21 having a plurality of radial blades 28 defining therewith and a core ring 29 a plurality of radial, liquid passages is located in facing and cooperating relation to the impeller I3 and a similar runner 30 having blades 3| and a core ring 32 defining like radial, liquid passages is positioned in facing and cooperating relation to the impeller I'I, thus forming a pair of liquid working circuits. From the foregoing, it will be understood that the runners 21 and 3D constitute the inner shells of their respective working circuits, while the outer shells are formed by the impellers I3 and I1. However, power flow through the coupling may be reversed without affecting its operability and, in this event, the runners 21 and 3l) act as impellers and the impellers I3 and I1 serve as runners.

The respective core rings are held in position by a pair of iins 33 on each associated blade which extend through slots of appropriate shape in the rings and are suitably expanded or upset to provide a rigid connection. This type of connection. is intended to indicate a representative mode of securement only.

The inner portions ofthe runners 21 and 30 are secured to a hub 34 that isr keyed to a driven shaft 35 journaled in bearings 36 and 31 whose outer races are carried by the rings I 5 and 2B, respectively. The disk I2 closes the forward end of the coupling around the end of the shaft 35, while the rear end is sealed by a packing ring 38 that encircles the shaft 35 and is carried by the outer ring 2|.

So far as described, the coupling is of characteristic construction. The invention resides in the use of a blade block, any number of which may be employed to close a corresponding number of the radial passages in the impeller or runner to accordingly vary the capacity of the coupling.

For convenience, these blocks are shown as applied to the runners 21 and 30.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the blade block, designated by the numeral 39, is rst formed as an inverted, U-shaped stamping comprising a pair of spaced wings 40-40 that are connected by a web-4 l The wings 40 arethen bent laterally from the web lllV to form the channel block 39 shown in Fig. 2. Considering the runner 21, for example, the upper edge 42 of each wing 40 is curved to fit the curved outer wall 43 of the run--` ner, While the side edges 444 and 45 are straight and relatively tapered to abut and conform to the radial, runner wall 46 and the core ring 29, respectively. As shown in Fig. 3,V the wings 40 taper towards each other from the web 4| for easy' tting with the blades 2B of the runner passage in which the block is inserted.

The number of blocks used will depend' upon the reduction in torque capacity desired, and this number having been determined; they are spaced ar'ound the'runner soY that the latters balance is not disturbed. This operation is normal-ly effect'ed at the place: of manufacture and before the core ringV 29 is connected tov the blades 28.

'Each'vv block istelescoped within the selected radial passage of the runner with the wings A453 slidingV along the blades28 which partially denne the particular passage until the block assumes the position` shown in Fig. 1 with the web 4i completely closing the entrance to the runner,

passage. The core ring 29 is then connected to the-:blades: by the fms3-3 tov thereby holdthe blockLin. the position. shown. The same proce dure is'followed for the runner 38.

Without the blocks 3-9, the coupling is characterized by its norma-l slipv and its fullV rated torque capacity for the particular size. However, the addition of the block-s eliminates a like number of. runner passages from the working cycle of the coupling and so increases the latters slip with a corresponding reduction in the torque capacity. For any size coupling, there is obviously considerable flexibility in the amount of capacity reduction that may be eiected with this.- construction.- Whatever the number of blocks may be, thel operating characteristics of the coupling arenstable, and it has beenv ascertained that the torque capacity drops almost directly with the number of passages blocked andY that thedrag torque,` or torque with the runner stalled, decreases inv about the same proportion. Hence, it is possible-to determine with 'practical exactness the amount ofcapacity reduction` any particular number of blocks will provida Y Further, the improvement possesses the outstanding advantages of cheapness, simplicity, Yease of application, and of not requiring any major designchanges in the coupling proper.

The blocks may be positioned inA the runner or impeller, and if inthe latter, the block may require minorV reshaping for ttingin the outlets of the impeller passages. The general shape of the impeller block, however, would be as shown in Fig. 2. The blocks may also be used in either Velement of a single circuit coupling.

What is claimed is:

1. An hydraulic coupling member including an annular shell, an annular core ring and radial bladescooperably related-to define radial passages, and xed blade blocks inserted in selected and less than all of the passages, each block including a web closing the outer end of the associated passage and wings telescopically related to the adjacent blades.

2. An hydraulic coupling member including an annular shell, an annular core ring and radial blades cooperably related to define radial passages, and nxed blade blocks inserted in selected and less than all of the passages, each block including a web closing the outer end of the associated passage and wings telescopically related to the adjacent blades, the side edges of the wings being relatively tapered for interlocking engagement with-the shell and core ring.

3. An hydraulic coupling member including an annular shell,Y an annular core ring vand radial blades cooperably related to define radial passages,- and means for blocking a passage comprising a pair of wings inserted in said passage andl abutting the opposed surfaces ofV theV as sociated blades, respectively, and a web bridged between the wings andY sized to close said passage.

4. An hydraulic coupling member including an annular shell,. an annular' core ring and radial blades cooperably related to define radialfpassages,l and means for blocking a passage corn-- prising a pair of wings inserted in said passage and;v alcuittingA the opposedsurfaces of the as'- sociatedblades,Y respectively, and a at webV bridged between one end of each wing and sized to close said passage, thel opposite ends of the wings:- being relatively tapered for" interlock with the ring and shell. Y A

RICHARD T. ieEHWALDy` Administrator of Estate of Maurice F'o'sfe', De"-v ceased'.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are 0i record inthe le of thispat-ent: l

UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Nov. 8, 1935 

